The Mashable writer went on to put the Microsoft appearance on par with a Steve Job's nightmare.

Late Apple co-founder Jobs unabashedly fired barbs at Microsoft, which was portrayed as an evil empire overlord while the iconic California was a rebel force.

Microsoft and Apple fans have clashed in San Francisco coffee houses with the kind of intensity though more common for lovers of rival sports teams.

Microsoft's unprecedented appearance on an Apple event stage left those fans to now argue whether it was a sign of Microsoft's defeat in the long-running war or whether Apple needed them as an ally to push iPads deeper into the business world.